Marysville to drug criminals: Get out and stay out

MARYSVILLE, Wash. - The Snohomish County city of Marysville can now order some people with drug convictions to stay out of a large swath of the city.

The City Council passed a new measure making that area of Marysville off limits if a judge orders. It's known as a SODA - or Stay Out of Drug Area.

Marysville's new SODA is right next to one adopted by the city of Arlington in August. Together, they encompass the Smokey Point, Lakewood and Twin Lakes areas around Interstate 5.

Now people convicted of drug crimes that happened within this area may be banned from coming back here for two years. Municipal court judges now have the discretion to impose SODA orders.

If a police officer sees a person with a SODA order hanging out there, the officer can arrest that person for violating the order.

Police say since 2015 they have have documented nearly 300 drug-related incidents within the new SODA boundaries - plus more than 600 thefts and nearly 400 nuisance and trespass incidents commonly associated with drug-related behavior.

Back in 2012 Marysville put another SODA area in place in the southern downtown business area.